Teleforum on Software Patents on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 2pm

A nice way to take a break from Election Day stress about this fingernail-biting-close election is to listen to some panelists talk about something that is truly important — software patents! 🙂

It a great panel, notwithstanding my participation, and it promises to be a lot of fun and informative. So, call in for the teleforum and even ask a question or two of us while you’re at it. Here’s the information:

Although pure software patents are only a couple decades old, they have become the focus of a heated innovation policy debate. On the one hand, new technological innovation once imagined only as science fiction is now a commonplace feature of our lives—tablet computers, smart phones, wireless telecommunication, cloud computing, and streaming television, movies and songs, to name just a few of our modern marvels. On the other hand, the high-tech industry seems awash in patent litigation, especially in the “smart phone war” between Apple, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, and other high-tech firms. As a result of this extensive litigation, commentators in newspaper articles, in blogs, and at conferences now complain about the “problem of software patents.” Conventional wisdom seems to be quickly gelling around the proposition that software patents are a problem that demands a solution from Congress or the courts. This Teleforum panel will consider whether software patents advance development of new technological innovation or hinder this vital innovation. The panelists represent all viewpoints on this topic, and they bring their extensive academic, legal and industry experiences to bear on this increasingly important issue in the innovation policy debates today.

Featuring:

Mr. Robert R. Sachs, Partner, Fenwick & West LLP

Prof. Adam Mossoff, George Mason University School of Law

Prof. David Olson, Boston College Law School

Moderator: Prof. Mark Schultz, Southern Illinois University School of Law

Agenda:

Call begins at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Registration details:

Teleforum calls are open to all dues paying members of the Federalist Society. To become a member, sign up here. As a member, you should receive email announcements of upcoming Teleforum calls which contain the conference call phone number. If you are not receiving those email announcements, please contact us at 202-822-8138.